Final Fantasy 9 2: Return to Gaia
by eikothewerewolf
Summary: Set ages after the happenings of FF9, two mages find their school attacked by the black mages and set out on adventure, finding themselves against a worse enemy than zidane years before. Apearances from Kuja and Sin. FF9 and 10 crossover
1. Chapter 1

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.  
**_Setting: _**Gaia  
**_Note from the authoress_**: this is important. I have written this in basis to FF9, and it is crossed over with FF 10. It is set a considerable time after FF9, and involves the exploits of 6 characters, and Kuja. The characters will involve elves, well, just because I like elves . While some of the ideas from FF 9 and 10 are used, they are used differently, and I have built a new story around them.

_**Part 1**_

Dodging a blow from the Zuu, Tai rolled to the side, regaining his balance before turning and screaming "Fire" at the top of his voice. A small flame flew from the staff in his hand, barely enough to slow the Zuu. It dived at him, claws outstretched, giving a scream of triumph at its victory.

"That's enough," a voice cried out from the side. The Zuu flickered in mid dive, before fading away, its shriek fading to nothing. Tai straightened up, wiping the sweat that ran down his face from his eyes, and pushing his long hair behind his ears, away from his face. He closed his eyes, waiting for his mentor to speak.

"You did it again Tai! You didn't focus your energy before casting the spell. It's not a matter of how loud you shout, you have to concentrate your energy first!" Tai gave a sigh, before opening his eyes and turning to face his mentor.

"I know. I'm sorry sir, but…"

"There is no 'but' Tai. If this was a real battle you'd be history now." His mentor waved his hands over his head, gasping in exasperation. "That's all for today. I can't work like this" Tai's mentor turned on his heel and stalked away from the elf. Tai sat down on the steps of the old school, burying his head in his hands. He knew he needed to concentrate more before casting a spell, but it was hard to force concentration on anything other than the attacker in battle. He heard a giggle just behind him, and sensed someone walk to his side, to sit by him on the step. He knew it was Crysta, another mage at the school. He felt her slip an arm around his shoulders, as she hugged him.

"Don't worry Tai. You'll be fine in the exam." He gave a snort of laughter.

"I can't even defeat a Zuu. What chance am I going to stand against the exam?" Crysta stood, pulling the elf up with her.

"You just need to concentrate. Remember, the monsters are just a sphere-gram. They can't hurt you." Tai smiled, as the two friends walked the familiar route through the school to the canteen. Both friends were students at Understone, a school dedicated solely to the training of mages on Gaia. As well as the never-ending spell casting lessons, the school also taught basic history of mages, and things about the existence of monsters. Students were generally assigned one mentor, who may teach a small group. The same man mentored both Tai and Crysta. Cal Moranis, their mentor, was one of the mentors who demanded perfection from students, and while Crysta was able to cast with ease, Tai found it a lot harder in the heat of battle to concentrate his energy for casting. They were not set against actual monsters, merely sphere-grams, an image of monsters, programmed to act just like the creatures that stalked the land outside towns. Both Crysta and Tai had run away from home, determined to learn the magical arts, earning the name of mage. Their families had been set against it, for hundreds of years ago killing machines were created to use magic. They were named mages because of this ability, and wrought havoc under the command of the Alexandrian queen of the time. This happened long before researchers found that others in this world were gifted with the ability to wield magic, yet still many citizens of Gaia were wary of the mages, as they could not understand the power they had.

Tai found himself thinking about the arguments he had had with his family before he had run away, as he and Crysta entered the canteen. Crysta picked up a Dali pear, a sweet fruit that only grew on the expanses of land near Dali. Tai smiled at this, for he knew from his lessons that Dali had been the place where these "Black Mages" had been manufactured. He picked up a sandwich from the tables set up, jumping ever so slightly as Crysta skipped up behind him and tapped his shoulder.

"Let's eat outside! It's a nice day!" Tai nodded and walked away from the packed canteen of the school, automatically falling in step beside Crysta as they headed to a corner of the old school that they favoured. Crysta curled up next to the pond in the shade of a blossom tree and threw a few crumbs to the fish swimming lazily beneath the surface. Tai pulled himself nimbly up into the lower boughs of the tree, several of the blossoms that grew thickly in its branches falling lightly in Crysta's hair. She shook her head and gazed enviously at Tai sitting comfortably in the branches.

"I wish I could climb like you." Tai laughed t this. She said the same thing every time she saw him climb trees. Because he was an elf, he was nimble, and a good climber by nature. He also knew that Crysta was a good mage because her grandparents had trained as mages, and she had inherited their skill. He twisted himself round so he was lying on the branch.

"I'd willingly trade my nimbleness for your mage skill." Crysta shook her head.

"Never wish to trade your skill. It may save your life one day." Tai grinned at her, knowing inwardly that she was right. It was a pity that the exam tested spell casting abilities rather than spell casting in context with other abilities. He was just about to reply, when a low growling sound, much like thunder, came into his hearing. He sat up swiftly, his face becoming serious immediately. Crysta sensed her friend's sudden wariness, and stood quickly.

"What is it?" she whispered. He extended a hand, motioning her to stay quiet. She stood, listening to the air around her. She heard nothing for a while. She watched Tai, and the elf relaxed slightly, and jumped from the tree. He opened his mouth to tell her what he had heard, but the chance never came. Blasting all other sound from hearing, a mass of explosions suddenly ripped through the air. Both mages felt the searing heat in the air as they turned to face the school buildings. Tai's eyes widened in shock at the sight that greeted them both. The entire building was erupting in a mass of flames, sending thick white smoke over the grounds. Tai glanced at Crysta. She had her hands over her mouth, a look of horror in her eyes. He pulled her back, and behind the blossom tree, out of sight of the building. Trembling she leaned against him for support, eyes closed, trying to will away the awful sight that she had just seen. Shaking, Tai concentrated his energy, before sending a scan out on the area, hoping to see signs that the other mages had escaped the blast. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and sweeping the area for some sign of life. He felt Crysta take hold of his hand, his eyes flickered open. She gazed at Tai, not needing to ask the question, as he already knew what was on her mind.

"They're all gone. I can't sense any living being." she spoke, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Try again. There must be one" He hugged her, before rescanning the area. This time he opened his eyes quicker.

"There's something here," he gasped. "It's not a living creature, but it's not a monster either." Crysta's eyes widened. Tai climbed the tree quickly, pulling her up into the branches behind him. He hoped that the blossoms on the tree would be enough to hide them from unwanted attention. His mouth felt dry, and he was shaking, ever so slightly. He could not believe that they had all been killed. As they hid in the tree, he watched the ground. Suddenly he gave a gasp. Crysta looked over in the same direction as him. She too gasped at what she saw, and uttered a small comment.

"Black Mages".

END OF PART 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.  
**_Setting: _**Gaia  
**_Note from the authoress_**: Hands up everyone who spots a light reference to FF7! No-one? Oh well, just me then! For those of you who can't spot it, I have based "artefacts" strongly on Materia. Oh, btw, I know the names of the monsters, but Tai and Crysta don't, so please don't try telling me what the monsters are. They will find out in the next part!

_**Part 2**_

The two mages hid in the tree as the black mages searched the ground. Fortunately for them, they remained undiscovered. Eventually, the Black Mages disappeared, teleporting in a golden hue, leaving the grounds silent. Tai and Crysta dropped lightly to the floor. Crysta gave another gasp, gazing at the school, and Tai turned to face the building. It was a complete ruin, merely a charred shell of what it once used to be. The mages walked over to it. Parts were still smouldering; the roof had caved in in numerous places. They picked there way through the remains of the building, when Crysta suddenly screamed. Tai turned quickly, and the sight made him feel sick. The bodies of quite a few mages could be seen in the remains of the canteen. Tai closed his eyes and pulled Crysta away from the sight. They continued to walk through the building, and it became clearer and clearer that there were no survivors. The duo finally clambered over the charred remains of the once proud doorways that had graced the school, and stood at the top of the steps, looking out over the plains that surrounded the school. Crysta walked down the steps and sat down.

"Now what?" Tai didn't answer. Despite himself he was starting to feel happy. Instead of being stuck at Understone, they had the opportunity to travel Gaia. They could visit some of the places they had only learned about in class. They could go to Alexandria, or Lindblum. They could explore the alleyways that made up most of Treno. But he knew that Crysta would be scared to attempt this. The school had been her home, and she would be loath to leave it behind. He had to think of some way to coax her out into the world. And he found, even as he thought that, there was a perfectly valid reason, and one he was anxious to find the answer to. He spoke to her.

"We have to find out what happened. Why did Black Mages attack Understone? Who sent them? We have to find out."

"And how do you intend to do that? We have no idea where they came from!" Tai sat beside her.

"Think about history class. Where were they created before?" Crysta frowned slightly. She had never paid much attention to history. Tai gave a laugh and answered for her.

"Dali. We go to Dali, we may find out something." Crysta nodded slightly, and stood.

"Let's go then."

The two mages walked for an age, before Crysta broke the silence they had been walking in with a question.

"Where exactly is Dali?" Tai hesitated briefly.

"Well, if we can get to Alexandria we should be able to find the way" Crysta stared at him momentarily

"And you now know the way to Alexandria?" the elf didn't reply. He wasn't sure of the way, having been raised in a small town, miles away, across the Burmecian Mountains, on the coast. The furthest he had been was Cleyra, and on the odd occasion Burmecia. He distinctly remembered visiting Lindblum a couple of times before he was sent to Understone, but never as far as Alexandria. Yet he knew he had to find it. But Crysta had made him realise he had no idea where to go.

"It's ok, we just need to get to a town and we can find out whereabouts Alexandria is." Crysta still didn't look too happy, but she seemed to be contented enough with this answer. But Tai continued to think. Where was the nearest village? He gazed across at the horizon. That wasn't their only problem either. They had only been trained against sphere-grams in battle. A real battle was likely to be far tougher, and Tai knew there were some monsters that magic was weak against. If only they had a fighter with them. They continued to wander aimlessly, yet always in a straight line. Their luck was holding at the moment, no monsters had attacked. But that meant nothing. Tai hated being this unprepared. Mages were only given one artefact until they passed their exam. They used others in lessons, but they only had one of their own. Tai's was fire, and Crysta's was cure. Artefacts were equipped to their weapons, in the designated slots. Eventually the mage learned the ability, but although they had searched the school a bit before leaving, there were no traces of the artefacts anywhere. This left them virtually helpless, relying solely on Tai's magic to survive. And Tai didn't put much faith in that. He sighed as they continued to walk.

The sun was slowly sinking on the horizon as a village loomed in view ahead of them. Crysta stared in relief. They had come across a couple of Mu's on their walk, but nothing more serious. Now, with the prospect of food and rest their hope was renewed. Breaking into a run, Tai, closely followed by Crysta, darted towards the village. The houses drew closer. Closer and closer. But then, a hiss and a sound somewhere between a shriek and a growl cried out. Tai slowed, and turning, he cried out.

"Monsters behind! Coming up fast!" Crysta turned and whimpered, as the haunting shrieks called out in their path.

"They have us surrounded!" Tai swallowed as the monsters drew closer, ready to attack. They stood little chance. Three spider-like creatures and a snake had surrounded them. Tai readied his staff, and they prepared to face what looked like their final battle.

END OF PART 2


	3. Chapter 3

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.   
**_Setting: _**Gaia  
**_Note from the authoress_**: Third instalment! Ideas are just swarming into my head for this story. It proves to end up being long…Sorry, there's a lot of talk in this part!

_**Part 3**_

Tai swallowed as the creatures advanced. What were they? He had never seen them in practice. Trembling, he closed his eyes, and heard Crysta whisper beside him.

"Remember to focus your energy!" he knew that he was the only chance of defeating them. Crysta had no offensive magic, only defensive. He drew in a deep breath to clear his head, and focused all his thoughts into casting fire. He held the staff in front of him, and, at the precise moment one of the spiders let out a cry and began to run at them, his eyes flickered open, and he shouted fire. The spell worked. A large fireball erupted from the staff, hitting the spider with force, knocking it over onto its back. It cycled its legs pitifully in the air for a few moments, before they curled up to its body. It was clearly dead. But the thrill Tai felt at casting properly was short lived. The other two spiders were running at him, and he knew he wouldn't have enough time to take on both of them. He glanced at Crysta, who was backing away from the snake. Terrified, Tai turned, and shouted fire for the second time. But his panic stopped him from focusing properly, and he saw only a small ball of fire hit the spider. Fortunately, it did enough to slow the first, and, feeling desperate, he turned, twirling the staff and attacked the second head on. His speed and agility was more than a match for it, he found out, as he effectively dodged the attacks the spider dealt. He needed to finish it off though, and he shouted fire for the third time, satisfied to see it finish the spider off. Taking a breath, he looked over at Crysta. She was attempting to keep the snake at bay with her weapon. But it was clear she lacked combat skills. He took a few steps to help her, but then fell heavily. He gave a gasp and twisted, seeing his legs bound in a sticky substance. He cursed. He had forgotten about the third spider, which had recovered from his mediocre attack, and was now advancing slowly upon him. It was too close to attempt to use magic. He tried to wriggle out of the substance restricting his movements, but it was clear it would not give. The spider was nearly on top of him, and it raised one of its legs, about to strike.

But before it could kill him, Tai saw an arrow bury itself in the spider. It screeched, and backed away, but to no avail, Tai watched as another arrow finished it off. He twisted around, trying to see where the arrow had come from, but saw no one. He turned to see if Crysta was ok. She was sitting on the ground, clearly shaken, the snake sporting an arrow of its own, lying dead at her feet. Before he could glance around again he heard footsteps and someone stopped near him. A voice spoke.

"Just hold still." He heard rustling, and realised that the stranger had sprinkled something over his legs. More than that, he was able to move his legs more and more by the second. Within a minute, he stood, turning to the stranger. He saw Crysta walking shakily over to them.

"Who are you?" He asked. The stranger flung a bag over his shoulder. Tai noticed he had a bow slung over the other. So this was the person who saved them. The stranger grinned.

"Names Meru." Tai felt at a loss for words. He had expected the stranger to say more. He questioned him again.

"Ok, so what are you doing here? Why did you help us? And what were those things?" Meru adjusted the bag nodded at Crysta who had just reached them, and answered the questions.

"I live around Dali. I helped you because you were clearly in trouble. You haven't been in a real fight before have you?" Tai stared, unable to answer the question, but the stranger continued talking. "As for those monsters, they were Carve Spiders. And of course, a Python. The spiders are generally only found around here now, so it's no surprise that you've never battled them before." Crysta spoke now.

"We're at Dali! Tai! We made it!" Meru glanced at Tai

"You were heading here? Why?" Tai looked at Meru. He wasn't sure whether he should trust this stranger. Especially if he was from Dali. He could easily have created the mages for the attack on Understone. But, on the other hand, they had no idea where to look, or what to look out for. And it seemed that Meru knew how to fight. Tai decided he would have to trust this man, although he didn't think it would be sensible to tell him the whole story just yet.

"We're looking for Black Mages" He was focusing his energy as he spoke, in case Meru turned on him. But Meru merely gave him an odd look.

"Well, you're several centuries too late. There aren't any Black Mages any more." Crysta blinked, and spoke up before Tai could stop her.

"That's not true! They destroyed our school!" Tai groaned inwardly. Meru looked at Crysta momentarily, before he started to laugh. Crysta glared indignantly at him. Meru spoke again.

"So that's why you novices are out here. You want revenge against the mages, and your only lead was Dali, because of the small part Dali played in the creation of the mages centuries ago." Tai gazed at Meru, a frown on his face. So this stranger was perceptive. He resented being called a novice, although he was glad that they had not found the source of the attack. If they couldn't defeat four monsters, what chance would they stand against someone protected by mages? But now he had little choice but to hope he could trust Meru.

"So there are no mages here? Could you help us find them?" Meru looked at Tai, deep in thought.

"You mean you need someone who can fight. Plus you don't know the landscape and need someone who does." It wasn't even a question. Meru was merely stating things. What annoyed Tai though was that everything the archer said was true. He was aware Meru was still speaking.

"I will go with you, but not because I have any desire to protect you. On the contrary, if Black Mages are back in Gaia, I would like to know how, and why." Tai nodded.

"Very well. But we need to rest first. We'll head into town and rest tonight, and leave tomorrow." Meru nodded his approval and the trio headed into Dali.

END OF PART 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.  
**_Setting: _**Gaia  
**_Note from the authoress_**: yeah, again, lots of talk!

_**Part 4**_

Examining the area around as they entered Dali, Tai was mostly aware of the lack of activity. That confirmed Meru's idea that the centre for the creation of these new black mages definitely wasn't in Dali. For a start, had it been, Tai was certain there would be more suspicion, and more activity. The atmosphere was completely different to Understone as well. Tai was used to student mages rushing about, trying to get work done, or if not that practicing their art in the classrooms set aside for practice. To see so few people about was something of a rarity for him. And the fact that they all seemed so laid back was even more astonishing. He rubbed his head and jogged a bit to catch up with Meru who had pulled ahead. Just as he caught up to the others Meru stopped and turned.

"This is the inn. We can stay here to get rested, and plan the next move from there." Tai nodded. It was amazing. He had stepped from the control of his tutor only to emerge in the control of a man who clearly thought he was superior to them. He turned to Crysta.

"You get some rest, I'm gonna explore the town." He noticed that Meru was staring at him interestedly.

"Curious about being in somewhere other than the school?" Tai scowled slightly.

"I'll see you two later," he muttered before wandering off.

As he walked through Dali's streets, he found himself desperately trying to remember history lessons. If he remembered rightly, there was a secret entrance in the windmill. It was obvious which of the buildings was a windmill, so he headed towards it. There were no signs telling him that visitors weren't allowed when he reached there, and he pushed the door open, somewhat dubiously. It didn't even creak, which annoyed him slightly. In his mind old buildings should have doors which creaked ominously when opened, especially buildings with secret passageways in it. He entered the windmill and froze. Heavy machinery was built around a sphere, which powered it. There was only a narrow passage in the windmill between the machines, which ended at a stone monolith. He felt disappointed. It seemed that the passage hand been sealed up. He decided he wouldn't stop looking however. He didn't want to think what Meru would do should he be forced to revel he had found nothing. He pulled at the monolith, hoping it would give way beneath him. But it held fast. Next he ran his hands over the stone, noticing a small, almost inconceivable crack running around the rim. Curious he took the top of the monolith and twisted it. It moved. He unscrewed the stone and put it on the floor, pleased to see that a hole had been revealed. He deftly climbed up and let himself down into the hole.

The hole led to a larger passage. Tai was pleased, realising he had discovered the old passages where the Black Mages had been created. He walked along it, lighting the way with a controlled fire spell. There was nothing down here any more, yet as he walked further into the tunnel, he stopped. He was willing to swear that a faint glow was emanating from around a bend. Cautiously he approached, startled as he looked around the corner and saw a giant yellow bird. Even as he watched the bird the door of an old, rundown hut opened, and an old man came out. The bird looked straight at Tai, and the man half turned, a smile on his face as he saw the elf draw quickly back in the shadows. He called out, in a soft, gentle voice,

"Fear not Child, I will not harm you." Curiosity overwhelmed Tai and he slowly walked around the corner. The man looked at him, another smile crossing his face. "Bless me, an Elf! Its been a long time since I saw an Elf. Come and say hello to Choci."

"Choci? Is that the birds name?" Tai asked cautiously. The old man nodded.

"Aye, it is, young one. Choci here is a Chocobo. They are rare nowadays, so I can understand why you haven't seen one. Choci and I travelled the world in our youth. Now, though, we're to old to travel, so we live peacefully below Dali." While he had been speaking the old man had ushered Tai towards Choci, and now he sat on a bale of hay nearby. The old man poured him out a drink from a flask he had.

"Why below Dali? wouldn't it be easier to live in the town?" The man chuckled

"Bless you, no. Choci would draw far to much attention. No, we're happier just minding our own business away from those dull townsfolk." Tai looked around.

"Didn't this place used to produce Black Mages?" The man nodded.

"Aye, it did. But those days are long gone. The hasn't been a Black Mage around for who knows how long." Tai licked his lips anxiously.

"But, there are black mages. They destroyed my school." The mans eyes hardened slightly. Tai wondered briefly if he should have kept his mouth shut. But the man just shook his head.

"Well, if I were you, and searching for mages, I'd try Conde Petie." Tai frowned. Conde Petie? He had never heard of it. Clearly the old man sensed this, for he continued speaking. "Conde Petie is a dwarf town on the outer continent. It was incredibly near the fabled Mage Village. It may be an idea to try and find this village, if it exists, as the were supposedly Mages who had become more than just machines living there." Tai nodded.

"How would I get there?" The old man smiled.

"Airship, I would think." Tai nodded and finished his drink.

"Thank you. I will try to get hold of an airship then. I had better get back to my friends now, though." The old man nodded.

"Take care, young one. Should you decide to visit Dali again, drop in." Tai nodded, before heading back along the passage. Hopefully Meru would have some idea of how to get hold of an airship. He hurried back to the inn, looking forward to a rest.

END OF PART 4


	5. Chapter 5

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.  
**_Setting: _**Gaia

_**Part 5**_

Meru was busy bargaining for possession of the rickety old airship. Having heard what Tai had to say, he had taken it upon himself to get hold of passage to Conde Petie. Crysta and Tai lounged a little way away, watching the exchange. Bored, Crysta turned to Tai.

"So, what was the passage like? Was it spooky? Did it have skeletons and cobwebs everywhere?" Tai stared at her. Talk about an imagination. He shook his head.

"It was just a tunnel." Just at that moment, Meru headed back, a grin on his face.

"He said he'd sell it for ten thousand gil." Tai's mouth dropped open

"That hunk of crap? Its not worth ten thousand!" Meru glared

"Its either that or we walk."

"And where, pray tell, are we gonna get ten thousand gil?" Meru turned to look at Tai

"You mean you haven't got any gil?" Tai scratched his head, embarrassed. Meru shook his head.

"By the Gods, what on earth were you planning to do? Fine, here's the plan. I said I would pay the man tomorrow. I guess we'll just have to leave tonight." Crysta looked confused

"But he won't let us leave if we don't pay." Meru sighed

"You two really are hopeless. That's the whole point. He'll be asleep tonight, expecting payment tomorrow. Only, we'll be long gone."

"You mean steal?" Crysta asked doubtfully. Tai privately thought it was a bad idea, but he could see no other alternative.

"It's either that or we will never find out why Black Mages attacked the school."

"I don't like it"

"Crysta, we don't really have a choice." She shook her head

"We can bring it back. Then it will just be borrowing." Tai smiled. Uneasily, Crysta agreed

"Well, I guess. If we bring it back."

Throughout the rest of the day Crysta's nerves were getting worse. Tai was certain she was going to give away their plans. But she didn't. Meru peered out of the window. It was dark, with only a thin slice of the moon casting any light, and obscured by the clouds scudding across the sky every so often. He turned back into the room.

"It's time" Tai nodded and hoisted a pack onto his back. Crysta followed suit, somewhat nervously. Silently, the trio slipped out of the inn into the night.

The airship stood, a dark foreboding shadow in the night. There was no sign of movement around it, and the group found it easy to sneak on board. Meru went to the controls. They were set out simply, proving to him that this was clearly an old fashioned airship. At least it didn't still run on mist, yet Meru had his doubts that it would get them safely to Conde Petie. He glanced at Tai and Crysta, making sure they were settled on the ship.

"Ok, here we go!" he pushed a lever up, and tapped on of the buttons. The airships engine stuttered into life. Meru closed his eyes. Take off was going to be longer than he hoped. He prayed that nobody would hear the airship. A light lit up in front of him. He needed to wait for all three to be alight before they had enough power to go. He heard voices shouting in the distance. The villagers had heard the airship. It occurred to Meru that an airship this old would cause a bit of a racket when started up. The second light flickered on and off. He cursed silently. The voices were getting louder. The second light stayed on. Tai and Crysta were starting to get nervous. Meru gazed at the lights. Damn, it wasn't going to get enough power in time. He fidgeted slightly. The third light flickered. But the villagers were almost on them.

"We can't wait any longer. I'm gonna chance it." Meru pulled a second lever and the airship whirred, lifting into the air. He pulled a third lever, causing it to move slowly forward. He only hoped that they had enough power to get somewhere.

The airship gained height and speed, leaving the village of Dali behind. Tai gazed out of the window. Although it was moving faster, compared to the modern airship it was moving slowly. He stared at the landscape below. He could see the evil forest, seeming to sway beneath him. He looked further a field, and was almost certain that he could see the ruins of Understone School. Crysta gave a gasp and pointed out of the opposite window.

"Look Tai! Its so pretty!" Tai joined her, gazing out of the window. It was one of Lindblum's gates. It was detailed and coloured intricately, although some of the colour had faded. Tai turned to Meru.

"Do you think we'll make it to Conde Petie" Meru looked serious.

"I felt doubtful before, this is an old airship. But we took off without waiting for full power. Hopefully we'll be able to get across the ocean before we lose altitude." Crysta turned

"Couldn't we stop on the coast and recharge energy?" Meru laughed

"It's not that easy. Like I said, its old. Unlike the newer airships it doesn't recharge itself while resting. It needs an airport. Their rare now, there's only one in Dali, Lindblum and Alexandria. If we land there's no guarantee that we will have enough power to take off again." Tai and Crysta exchanged glances.

"That's…bad, huh." Meru gave a grim smile.

"We will just have to hope."

END OF PART 5


	6. Chapter 6

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.  
**_Setting: _**Gaia

_**Part 6**_

Tai walked along the deck of the airship. He considered them lucky to have gotten away. But now, it seemed they would be lucky if they managed to get home. The airship had worked well for a while. They were halfway across the ocean. Grudgingly, Tai had to accept that Meru appeared to know what he was doing. He paced across the airship again and gazed out over the water. A continent was steadily growing closer. He was almost certain he could see the outline of the infamous Iifa Tree, the cause of so much trouble so long ago. He glanced around, grinning to himself. Crysta sat in a corner, scribbling notes on a sphere pad. A sphere pad was something like a notepad combined with a computer. It stored all the notes written on it and filed it away for later use. It was a handy device, and popular with students throughout Gaia. Tai knew Crysta was writing notes about their journey so far. He walked over to her.

"Writing about anything in particular?" Crysta grinned.

"Just imagine if this turned into a real adventure. We could write all about it and years from now, students like us will be studying how we saved Gaia." Tai looked up at a skeptical laugh. Meru was standing nearby.

"That may be true, but would you really enjoy knowing that the fate of Gaia rested on your shoulders?" He shook his head "I sure as hell wouldn't. All we're doing is finding out about the mages. Its nothing major" Crysta smiled.

"I know that. But I was just imaging how good it would feel to be remembered throughout history." Meru grinned then turned. He pointed,

"That's Conde Petie ahead. We should be there within the hour" Tai and Crysta turned to look. Sure enough, the rough outline of a city could be seen on the continent now approaching. Tai narrowed his eyes.

"What's that?" Crysta looked harder at the horizon.

"What's what?" Tai pointed.

"I think there's something flying up ahead." Meru frowned and ran to get some binoculars. He raised them to his eyes, before swearing loudly.

"What is it?" Crysta asked. Tai noticed the fringe of panic on her voice

"Red Dragons." Crysta gasped. "My guess is they are acting as Guardians of Conde Petie. And we're heading straight for them!" Tai turned

"Can't you do anything?"

"I can try to avoid them, but this ship isn't very manoeuvrable." He ran back to the cabin. After a few moments he called back "It's no good. We'll be too near the dragons before anything happens." Tai gazed ahead.

"Head downwards. Then, at least if the ship is damaged we may not have as far to fall." Crysta gazed ahead too.

"We're going to have to fight aren't we?" Tai nodded grimly. The dragons had seen the airship and were now heading towards them. Tai could see that there were two now. It was going to be a tough battle. Meru ran back out on deck. He glanced at Tai.

"You ok, kid?" Tai swallowed.

"Fire isn't very good against dragons." Meru glanced sideways.

"I found this artefact among some of the junk in the cargo hold." He handed a small disc over to Tai. It was a glittering blue, and Tai knew immediately that it was a blizzard artefact. Meru grinned.

"Maybe we should have trained a bit before heading out." Tai was pale. He knew how powerful red dragons were. Did they really stand a chance? He looked at Crysta. She nodded.

"I know, cure you two." Tai swallowed and readied himself for battle.

Crysta stood a little way back from the other two. She watched dubiously as the two dragons drew nearer. Then one of them was on top of them. It breathed a jet of flame towards Meru, who dodged swiftly. She watched as Tai opened his eyes, shouting the word "blizzard" The dragon recoiled a little as the ice spell hit it. While it was distracted, Meru shot three arrows in quick succession. The dragon's attention was on Tai now. Crysta saw it sweep at him with its claws. It missed him by a hairs breadth as he leapt backwards. She glanced at Meru. He was muttering something. She heard a gasp and her attention flicked back to Tai. He had just been hit. She immediately prepared and cast the cure spell, breathing in relief as his wounds healed. She glanced at Meru again. He had now jumped onto the rails of the airship/ he shot two arrows, one to either side of the dragon, and then stated one phrase: "Tri Arrow" He shot the third arrow into the air. She gasped as the dragon was enveloped in Fire, then Ice, then finally Thunder flashed down, causing a small explosion. The dragon looked really angry. It took a last swipe at Tai, who once again dodged, then flew upwards. Crysta followed it. It flew into the air, did a turn and dived….right past the ship. Crysta stared at the other two.

"Does that mean we've won?" Meru opened his mouth to answer but suddenly the airship gave a shudder.

"It's attacking from below!" Tai shouted. Crysta screamed as the airship now rapidly lost height. They were going to crash!

END OF PART 6


	7. Chapter 7

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.  
**_Setting: _**Gaia

_**Part 7**_

The three occupants of the airship held on for dear life as the ship fell to earth. Crysta closed her eyes as the town named Conde Petie loomed in front of them. Then, with a resounding crash the airship hit the ground. Tai stood shakily up, the impact having knocked him to the ground. He looked around.

"Is everyone alright?" He asked. Meru nodded, and Crysta stood anxiously.

"What now?" She asked. Tai shrugged.

"Well, now we search for Black Mages!" Meru grinned.

"Hey, at least we got where we needed to be!" The trio climbed down the side of the airship. Crysta looked back up at it.

"How are we supposed to return this now?" Meru sighed. These mages really were hopeless. He tapped Crysta on the shoulder.

"Come on, lets get going!" Crysta nodded dumbly, and the three of them headed to the nearby town.

"Rally Ho!" Tai blinked.

"What?" The little person in front of him rolled his eyes.

"Rally Ho! It's a dwarfish greeting!" Tai nodded in understanding

"Ah, I see…well, erm, Rally ho then."

"Very good, you can enter our fair city!" The friends walked though the halls in Conde Petie. They had a very earthy quality to them. Crysta looked all around.

"Now what? There's no mages here." They had walked through the town, talking to everyone they met, but found no sign of their quarry. Now, they stood a little way away from a guard. Tai scratched his head.

"I dunno, there's not much else we can do!" Meru was gazing thoughtfully at the guard

"I wonder what he's guarding?"

"Does it matter?" Crysta queried.

"Not as such. I'm just wondering if maybe the mages are through the passage behind him." Apparently the guard heard them talking, for he now addressed them.

"Nothing through here but the Iifa Tree!"

"Iifa Tree?" Tai remembered reading about this in history, it had been the cause of all the trouble, so long ago. He was fascinated by it. He turned to Crysta, who smiled.

"Let me guess, you want to go see it?" Tai smiled sheepishly,

"Well, we have no leads, we may as well do a bit of sight seeing!" Meru shook his head and muttered.

"Amateurs!" But still he followed the two down the path past the guard.

The group walked down the dusty path.

"Hmmm, I wonder what that dwarf was guarding against?" Meru queried.

"Does it matter?" They walked a little further when Crysta suddenly let out a scream. The Elf Turned quickly to look back. Meru swiftly walked to her side.

"What's up?"

"I…I saw something up ahead." Meru raised an eyebrow.

"So you screamed?"

"I'm sorry, it looked like trouble." Meru shook his head and walked on. He didn't get too far before a dagger hit the wall next to him.

"Don't take another step." The group turned. Standing on the ledge was the owner of the voice. It appeared to be human, or at least humanoid, wearing a black mask and garbed in black, with long dark hair falling around its face. Tai took a breath.

"Who are you and what business do you have stopping us?" Before the figure could speak again however, a rock fell out of nowhere, hitting the figure and knocking him off of the ledge on which he stood. A deafening roar made the travellers ready for battle. Something was coming along the passage.

END OF PART 7


	8. Chapter 8

**Final Fantasy 9-2: Return to Gaia**

**_Rating: _**PG  
**_Genre: _**action, RPG.  
**_Setting: _**Gaia

_**Part 8**_

Crysta ran to the strangers side. He was unconscious. She looked wordlessly at the other two, who were watching the passage to the left intently, Meru was ready with his bow, while Tai was muttering under his breath. Meru spoke quietly.

"Protect him Crysta." Crysta nodded weakly. Loud footsteps could now be heard. Crysta concentrated and murmured the word 'Cure'. the man in black stirred. Then, accompanied with another deafening roar the rocks on one side of the passage were smashed out of the way. Crysta yelped quietly as an ogre came into sight. Meru let two arrows fly in quick succession. Tai opened his eyes, and shouted "Fire" a fireball zoomed towards the Ogre. It roared angrily and brought its club smashing down. Tai just managed to dive out f its path. Meru sidestepped quickly and shot another arrow.

"It's not even flinching!" He shouted at Tai. Crysta cast Cure on Tai, healing the minor wounds he had received from the ogres attack. Tai turned and faced the giant creature, who jumped in the air, landing heavily and causing an earthquake to knock both fighters off their feet. Meru groaned and picked himself up. Tai called out to him.

"I have an idea! Shoot an arrow!" Meru looked at Tai then nodded. Tai was concentrating on his spell, Meru guessed what he had in mind, and, keeping an eye on Tai, took aim. He fired his arrow , with a cry of "Now!" At the same time Tai shouted out "Fire" and let another fireball loose. The fireball hit the arrow as it hurtled towards the ogre, setting it alight, moments before it hit its target. The ogre howled in agony. Quickly the two fighters dealt two quick fire arrows again. Meanwhile, the stranger had pulled himself shakily to his feet, watching Tai and Meru's attack, he drew a sword, and ran at the ogre, dealing it a heavy last blow. The ogre was defeated, and the stranger fell too his knees. Crysta cast another cure on him, and he turned to her.

"Thank you, you saved my life." He nodded to Meru and Tai, "All of you. I am called Eclipse." Tai helped the warrior to his feet.

"So, why did you try to stop us?" The warrior shook his head.

"I overheard you in Conde Petie, The Iifa Tree is a dangerous place, and only the most skilled are allowed to visit there." Tai scratched his head

"So you thought it was your duty to stop us?" Eclipse nodded once.

"I am the last remaining Guardian." Meru stalked past him.

"Whatever, we aren't turning back now." Eclipse jumped backwards, barring Meru's way.

"If you insist on continuing, I will join you." Tai nodded in acknowledgement.

"Lets go then."

No more major incidents occurred to the travellers as they continued to the Iifa tree. Now they stood outside, gazing up at it. Eclipse shook his head.

"This isn't right!" The Tree had a dark, smoky substance swirling ominously around it, and wisps of green mist were rising through cracks in the floor.

"Creepy." Stated Meru.

"Is it supposed to look like that?" Asked Crysta.

"No!" Eclipse said, "Something has happened here!" Tai shrugged.

"Well, lets go inside and see what's happening!" He stalked forward, but, before the others could follow him, he stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong Tai?" Crysta asked. He was moving his arms around in front of him.

"You can't enter, there's a barrier of protection around the tree." Tai turned.

"So, you're a guardian, can you break it?" Eclipse shook his head.

"Only for something Major." Meru gaped at him.

"And you don't think the mist and the darkness is major." Eclipse took a breath.

"I guess so" he murmured, and stepped towards a small pedestal. He placed a hand on it and shut his eyes. The small company jumped as the earth started shaking beneath them. A crack opened in the floor, and a wispy, wraithlike figure emerged amidst billowing white smoke. The shaking stopped and Eclipse stepped back, holding something. The figure stepped forward. It had Long white hair, tied at the back, and was dressed in a cropped top, and a long piece of flowing material from its waist. Tai imagined he saw a flicker of a monkeys tail as the figure past him. He recognised it from paintings in his history books.

"Why have you awoken the Guardian of the Iifa Tree?" Kuja demanded.

END OF PART 8


End file.
